As we head excitedly off into the new year, it's important to pause and think about the document that will have the most impact in your life - your CV!

More important than your passport, this document dictates how much you earn for the rest of your life, and to a large extent, your career and societal success, as well as emotional and relational wellbeing.

In 2017, your CV must be your "personal brochure", selling you professionally to employers. So what are the key things we need in a professional and successful CV today?

1. It's not all about you

When an organisation advertises a vacancy, they are saying to the market that they have a "problem". If they are seeking a sales rep in Northland, they are worried about losing market share as they have no sales resource in the area. If they are advertising for a CEO, they are signalling they have limited strategic leadership capability.

Understand that when you apply for a role, your CV should be focused towards meeting the individual needs of the reader. It is not about you, but about them. Think about how you are the "solution" to the employer's problem by reading the job description in detail and assessing the key competencies, skills and expertise they are seeking. Mirror these in your CV so you are seen as a "tailored solution" to the employer's "problem".

2. Highlight your achievements

Don't just list your job responsibilities in your CV, but also your career achievements. This demonstrates your "value" to the employer, positioning you ahead of your competition who only detail what they get paid to do.

3. Professional living document

Your CV (personal brochure) should have a smooth, clear, professional look, with a little bit of "panache" to make it more appealing. A light splash of colour is a great way to stand out, without being overbearing. Also, as the vast majority of CVs are read on a screen, hyper-links and QR codes to your Linkedin profile, portfolio examples, videos, personal web page and email address are important.

4. First things first

The first third of the first page of your CV is almost guaranteed to be read in detail. After this, employers will glance through the rest to see if there is anything that catches their eye. Ensure you have a brief summary at the start of your CV highlighting how you mirror the skills and competencies they are seeking and use bullet points to make it clear. Don't include your school results from 20 years ago, hobbies or star sign in this part of your CV.

Follow these key points, and your CV will become your "brochure", opening new and exciting career opportunities in 2017!

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Tom is an award winning keynote speaker and international careers and personal development author.

Published and featured in the Harvard Business Review, Economist, TVNZ and TV3, Tom is also a business and careers Columnist for the NZ Herald. You can read some of his most recent articles here...

Tom has written the ‘The 1% Principle’, published through Harper Collins in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and NZ. Recently the 1% Principle peaked in the top five business books and the top 21 best sellers on Amazon.co.uk.

Tom was brought up in an environment associated to human resources and recruitment and has a degree majoring in social and perceptual psychology.

After developing and selling two recruitment consultancies, Tom consulted independently in Human Resources to a number of leading national and international organisations including Sovereign Assurance, South Auckland Health, Auckland City and Morgan and Banks.

After two short period's doing community support work for his church in the Philippines and India, Tom then joined Deloitte as a Management Consultant specialising in Human Resources.

Over the last twelve years, Tom has been Managing Director of CV.CO.NZ (NZ) Limited, and has been personally involved in designing high quality career solutions for more than 8,000 clients in over 50 countries!

Contact Tom O'Neil direct on (0800) 282 669 or email him at tom@cv.co.nz to discuss your career and personal development needs.

Gaynor O'NeilMRCSA CRC

Gaynor is a pioneer within the modern world of recruitment and human resources.

Gaynor has successfully built up and sold several successful recruitment and HR consultancies and has written various books concerning career matters, one of them sponsored by a national bank.

Gaynor is also co-author Selling Yourself to Employers’, published through New Holland Publishers in the U.K., Australia and NZ. She has also been employed as a weekly columnist for a national newspaper, writing about vocational opportunities.

Admitted to the Institute of Personnel Consultants in 1981, Gaynor is a Certified Recruitment Consultant.

"With your wonderful CV, I got a great job offer and I start next Monday. It would not have happened without your help!!!! I would like to thank you for everything you did for me."Jacky Zheng - IT Specialist

"Well you wouldn't believe it but I sent my resume to apply for a receptionist position. I got a call as soon as the employer read it and they wanted to start asap! So thanks a lot for a great CV!" Gina Larsen - Receptionist